Tag: Reflection

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

Helen Keller (1880 – 1968)

There are a few variations of this phrase, but I really like Ms. Keller’s take on it. She makes a good point about staring at the closed door. Many of us can get stuck in our drama rather than accepting events as they unfold around us which prevents us from moving forward and missing an opportunity that could transform our lives. I have been guilty of that on occasion.

Stuff happens. Good stuff and bad stuff. When the going is good we tend not to think twice about it and just enjoy the moment. However, when the going gets bad we agonise over things and create a drama about it, which in turn stays in our present moment longer than we need it to. There is something to be learned/gained from every experience we encounter. We just don’t always know what that lesson is going to be, or how we will benefit from it. Sometimes we need to have a little bit of faith that everything is going to work out, because it usually does.

Most people are resistant to change. If it isn’t broken don’t fix it. What if: if it may not be broken but we can make some improvements? It is usually when change is thrust upon us when we least expect it that we go into a panic and start to resist.

I believe that our subconscious thoughts send out signals to The Universe which attracts situations to us to deal with. Unhappy with your job but not really doing anything about it? Was that really a coincidence that you were made redundant? Don’t really like where you live but haven’t done anything about changing your space? Was it really a coincidence that your landlady is selling the property and you have to move? (this actually happened to a friend of mine) Not happy in your personal relationship but unwilling to change the status quo or hoping things will work itself out? Was that really a coincidence that the relationship didn’t work out?

The thing about the situations listed above is that they are all things we wanted, change, but for some reason we got stuck about doing anything about it ourselves and The Universe intervened on our behalf. The Universe is great that way. Unfortunately, the kick up the backside we needed to move forward may not have come to us in a way that we would have liked. But then again, would we have done anything about changing our situation without drastic measures? Food for thought. When things come to us in ways that are unexpected sometimes we get into a panic. It is important at this stage to pause and reflect and to try to accept the situation. Then we can move forward with a clear head and maybe a plan. Most things happen for a reason.

There are times that life throws us challenges that have nothing to do with our subconscious wishes. Shit just sometimes happens that we have no control over and we have to get through these situations as best as we can. Even so, there is usually something positive to be gained if we try to accept what is happening around us. We may find an inner strength that we never realised we had. When we finally get through something traumatic, it is almost as if nothing can ever touch us again and we know that we have the strength to get through anything. Like the saying: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’

What if instead of waiting for the unexpected to happen to us, most likely in a way we won’t like, we took baby steps to make changes in our lives which would take us closer to our goals? That seems to make more sense on a positive scale and is also very practical. When we take baby steps towards our goals and keep a positive outlook, The Universe listens. The Universe is always listening and will always give us what we ask for if we really want it. We just need to know how to ask because we also may get what we don’t want, or it may seem that way because we may not really believe that we deserve something good.

Every bit of change in our lives is an opportunity for a New Beginning. I am a great one for New Beginnings as I have had so many in my life. Some have been thrust upon me and some I have taken baby steps towards. Change is a good thing even if it may not seem to be at the time. I may have had a door slammed in my face without warning, but another one has opened and I am happier than I could have ever imagined. Once I stopped looking at that closed door I noticed a door that was ajar and that beckoned me to take a risk and walk on through. I am so glad I did! 🙂

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Yesterday was my first time in a floatation tank. Ever since I first saw the film Altered States, I have always wanted to try it. On Saturday, I popped into Brightest Blessings to have a look around the shop. It was my first time in there and I noticed that they offered floatation tank sessions. One of the ladies in the shop had just had her first session and really enjoyed it. I was asked if I wanted to have a look at the tank, so we went downstairs for a preview. Everything looked clean and tidy, so I booked an appointment.

I had pre-conceived expectations. I was hoping for an out of body experience or at least some enlightenment. I undressed and entered the floatation tank. It was more like an enclosed paddling pool. There were little LED lights in the ceiling to imitate stars. I sat down in about 10 inches of warm water, closed the door, put the earplugs in that were given to me to prevent the salt water going into my ears, put the neck pillow on (like the ones used for airplanes), switched off the lights, and proceeded to lie back in the water. OK, I floated. With my eyes closed it was completely pitch dark.

What next? I have a very active mind and this time was no exception. I tried to be in the moment and focus on what I was feeling. Eventually, I wasn’t feeling much of anything. My head seemed to be disconnected from my body. Although I was floating, I also had the feeling of being supported. It was very strange. My mind kept wandering off on different tangents and I found myself trying to focus and bring myself back into the present. Before I knew it the music started, thus signalling the end of the session. I couldn’t believe that I had been in there for nearly an hour. I must have dozed off without realising it. The part of my body that was exposed was completely covered in perspiration. I found that unusual as I hadn’t felt overheated.

I sat up, put on the lights and got out to take a shower. I was provided with a clean, fluffy towel which I had put on the heated towel rail earlier. There is no need to bring soap or shampoo/conditioner as all of that is provided. There is also a hairdryer, body lotion, deodorant, and cotton balls. You need to bring your own hairbrush as none are supplied. The facilities are very clean, which is very important to me as I have a low tolerance for any kind of grubbiness in wet areas. (Just don’t get me started on the state of public swimming baths!) Once I was dressed and blow dried, I went upstairs to sit down for awhile.

The Verdict: Although my pre-conceived expectations had not been met, my body felt very relaxed and I had a sense of well-being. Would I do it again? Yes, definitely.

Jacky, the owner of the shop, kindly got me a glass of water while I told her about my experience. We eventually moved on to cups of tea while sharing details of our lives and interests with each other. It turns out we are both Geminis, cat lovers, and have both changed our lives to move to Eastbourne. Jackie is an interesting and lovely woman who is very easy to talk to and the time just flew by while we chatted together. (Another Gemini trait – we love to talk.) I eventually prised myself out of my seat, paid for my treatment, and braved the weather for the walk home.

Brightest Blessings offers other therapies, such as reflexology, EFT, and reiki to name a few. The shop also sells jewellery, crystals and stones, books, incense and other items that may be of interest to those involved with healing and other spiritual matters. More information can be found on theirwebsite.

The shop has moved from The Enterprise Centre and is now located at 16 South Street, Little Chelsea, Eastbourne BN21 4XF, Telephone: 01323 646010. They also have a page on Facebook where you can see photos of the shop and floatation suite.

PS: If you have booked a floatation tank session because of reading my blog, please let them know (and let me know!) because I can get a session for half price if I introduce a friend 🙂

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It is amazing how quickly time passes. It has been one year now since my first attempt at blogging. I hope that my blog posts this last year have been marginally entertaining and somewhat informative.

I had started the blog for two reasons: Firstly, to keep my family and friends up to date with what I have been doing, and secondly, to find a voice for my writing (I’m still working on that one). I can rest assured that my family, friends and others are aware of what I have been doing with myself this past year. There have been a lot of changes afoot. I think the key words for me this past year have been change and patience.

One minute I was happily managing an Architect’s practice only to learn that our practice was closing down. Eventually, I get a job as a retail therapist at a fraction of what I had earned before. I hadn’t worked in retail since college and that was only part-time. I learned a lot more about women and how they feel about themselves with regard to clothes. That was a real eye-opener and had given me a huge insight into how women think they should look and how they feel about their bodies.

Another minute I was happily single and then I met someone and fell in love. I am now happily with a partner. If anyone would have ever suggested it would happen the way it did, I would never have believed it.

I have done a lot of things I hadn’t done before. I have learned new things. I have been to new places. I have made new friends. I have also lost a family member and I have re-connected with family I hadn’t been in contact with for years.

Looking back, it seems that for every loss there has also been a gain. In fact, there have been more gains than losses, so I am ahead and doing rather well.

I have also had to learn patience. I am still unsure if I have actually learned it. I am not a patient person. Things don’t always move at the speed that I would like them to. I am action woman and very pro-active. I sometimes wonder what lessons I am supposed to be learning while The Universe is making me wait for things. Maybe I am supposed to be more trusting and realise that things always work out for the best? They have so far!

I am really looking forward to the next year as there are even more changes afoot, places to visit and new friends to make.

Arlene Toth 2008-20117 Arlene’s New Beginning all rights reserved. This blog may be linked to other blogs or websites. No parts of this blog may be reproduced, copied, changed or lifted without the express written permission of the author.